The ruling and opposition camps remained at odds on Tuesday after both sides effectively rejected mediation efforts by the Upper House president to resolve the drawn-out row over revision of the electoral system.
Some ruling bloc lawmakers began calling for an immediate end to negotiations and for the bill to go to the Upper House for a vote as early as today.
At the heart of the dispute is a new polling system -- one that would allow voters to choose to vote for either a party or individuals -- that the ruling bloc rammed through the Diet amid an opposition boycott.